ambient
Americanadjective
-
of the surrounding area or environment: The temperature in the display case was 20° lower than the ambient temperature.
Your voice mail picked up some ambient noise from airplanes and lawn mowers.
The temperature in the display case was 20° lower than the ambient temperature.
-
completely surrounding; enveloping.
Many pollutants are present in ambient air in relatively low concentrations.
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creating a certain reaction or mood, often a subconscious one, by being wherever people tend to be.
ambient advertising on a shopping cart.
-
pertaining to or noting sounds that create a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere.
I stream ambient ocean sounds to help me fall asleep.
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pertaining to or noting close and constant social contact and communication fostered by the internet or the use of digital devices.
social media sites that enable ambient intimacy and awareness.
noun
adjective
-
of or relating to the immediate surroundings
the ambient temperature was 15°C
-
creating a relaxing atmosphere
ambient music
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ambient
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin ambient- (stem of ambiēns, present participle of ambīre “to go around”), equivalent to amb- ambi- + -i- “go” + -ent- -ent
Explanation
Ambient is an adjective used to describe an aspect of the environment that completely surrounds you, but in a mellow way, like ambient music played softly throughout a restaurant, or the ambient orange glow during a setting sun. Ambient describes some pervasive quality of the surrounding environment, like the ambient lighting in a movie theater, or the ambient temperature of a room. Most times when you’re hearing silence, you’re hearing some ambient noises too, like the hum of a refrigerator or the whistle of a breeze. Usually ambient describes a quiet or peaceful quality, but it can be aggressive too, like the ambient drone of war planes flying above that you can hear no matter where you hide.
Vocabulary lists containing ambient
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
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Around and Around: Ambi
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for March 27–April 2, 2021
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ambient hospitality isn’t a showroom; it’s a corner where someone can settle in the moment they step through the door.
From Salon • Dec. 2, 2025
The mechanism was described as a “last resort” by many, including Doug Colkitt, founder at decentralized exchange Ambient Finance.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 13, 2025
Ambient heat causes a refrigerant inside the heat pump to warm up and expand.
From BBC • Jul. 14, 2025
Ambient sound clips feature excerpts from the diary.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 25, 2025
Ambient splashing and conversation from the lake made the perfect soundtrack to what I’d always imagined to be the best first date ever.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
